Cleft review
A privacy-focused Apple voice-note app with offline AI transcription and structured notes.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Cleft is an AI voice-note app for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and CarPlay. It is designed for people who think faster than they type and want spoken thoughts converted into organized notes. Recordings receive on-device Whisper transcription, while AI-generated summaries, titles, and structured notes turn raw speech into something easier to revisit. Offline recording and transcription make it suited to private capture when an internet connection is unavailable. The product is especially relevant to Apple users who want voice notes, searchable transcripts, and local workflows rather than a browser-centered note system.
Pricing is split between a free Basic plan and Cleft Plus. Basic costs $0 per month and includes on-device transcription, structured notes, tags, search, export, Widgets, Siri, and Shortcuts. Cleft Plus costs $6.99 per user per month when billed monthly, or $39.99 per user per year when billed annually. The paid tier adds 30-minute recordings, custom AI instructions, custom output styles, Notion and Zapier integrations, and attachments. This makes the free plan suitable for core recording and organization, while the paid plan is aimed at longer capture and more configurable workflows.
Cleft’s strongest fit is its Apple ecosystem depth. It supports Markdown export and local sync, transcript viewing and editing, selectable output styles, and integrations with Notion, Apple Notes, Obsidian, Bear, NotePlan, Drafts, Ulysses, Logseq, and Apple Shortcuts. That range gives users several ways to move structured notes into an existing system. The tradeoff is platform coverage: Cleft is focused on Apple devices, so it is less suitable for teams or individuals who need a cross-platform app. Choose it for private, offline Apple voice notes; consider an alternative if Windows, Android, or broader collaboration support is essential.
Cleft pros and cons
- Where it wins
- On-device transcription and offline recording support private capture.
- Structured notes, summaries, titles, tags, and transcript search organize ideas.
- Apple ecosystem support includes Shortcuts, Siri, Widgets, and CarPlay.
- Where it doesn't
- Works across iOS and macOS rather than broader device platforms.
- 30-minute recordings require a Cleft Plus plan.
- Custom AI instructions and third-party integrations are paid features.
Cleft fact sheet, pricing and score →
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